A New Dawn

Jonathan Hazlett and Dominic O’Sullivan have revived a faded period property, with a nod to its past and a look to the future

- Victoria Jenkins

Having each sold a house, Jonathan Hazlett, a lawyer, and his partner Dominic O’Sullivan, a dentist, began to look for a home of their own in Bath. ‘There wasn’t much available so we eventually viewed a three-storey Edwardian villa, which had been on the market for quite some time,’ says Jonathan.

It soon became obvious why. ‘The amount of work it needed had clearly put most people off,’ continues Jonathan. ‘It was very tired and run down. There was woodchip wallpaper everywhere and carpets in an unappealing pink. And despite there being six bedrooms, there was only one bathroom, which was abysmal. The kitchen was very small, too.’

However, the couple were looking for something to do up so they could put their own stamp on it. ‘It did have a comfortable, homely feeling,’ says Dominic. ‘All the original features, such as the fireplaces, the stained glass in the porch, the bell-pull and the dumb waiter had been retained.’